Self-opening umbrella



R. ZIMMERMANN SELF-OPENING UMBRELLA March 17, 1959 Filed June 25, 1956FIG. 1

FIG. 2

/NVEN7'0P I Richard Zimmerman" ii ikm States Patent SELF-OPEN IN GUMBRELLA Richard Zimmermann, Leichlingen, Rhinelaud, Germany, assignorto W. Bauermann & Siihne G. m. b. H., Hilden, Rhineland, Germany, a firmApplication June 25, 1956, Serial No. 593,476 Claims priority,application Germany July 14, 1955 2 Claims. (Cl. 135-23) The inventionrelates to umbrellas, and more particularly to an opening device whichcan be used either for non-collapsible or for collapsible pocketumbrella frames. It is known in connection with such umbrella frames tohinge main and auxiliary struts on main and auxiliary slides and toarrange an opening or spreading spring between the slides, which spring,when the umbrella is being opened, spreads the umbrella frame andautomatically opens the umbrella roof.

Frames are known wherein the main struts are hinged to an auxiliaryslide which runs on a main slide. This construction is open to theobjection that, owing to the cloth of the umbrella being subjected tolateral stretching which is not always uniform and consequently pressurebeing exerted on the main struts and the auxiliary slide, the running ofthis auxiliary slide, on the main slide is impeded and reliableautomatic opening of the umbrella is not always ensured.

With a view to overcoming this objection it is likewise known to hingethe main struts to a crown ring rigidly connected with the main slide.In this case a bell-shaped auxiliary slide is not rigidly connected tothe main slide but slidably guided on the elongated main slide. Theauxiliary struts are hinged on the bell-shaped auxiliary slide. In thisarrangement no lateral pressure is exerted on the bell-shaped.auxiliaryslide so that the umbrella roof can open reliably. structionthe sliding movement of the bell-shaped auxiliary slide was limited by abead or abutment at the end of the elongated main slide. This is open tothe objection that the spring pressure which should open the umbrellaroof was relieved prematurely and the umbrella could not be completelyopened. It was necessary to assist the opening movement by hand in orderto bring the umbrella into its fully open position and an arrestingspring was provided on the umbrella stick to maintain the slide in itsraised position.

According to the present invention no bead or abutment is provided atthat end of the elongated main slide which is directed towards theumbrella handle, so that the sliding movement of the bell-shapedauxiliary slide is not prematurely limited. Consequently the umbrellaopens automatically right up to the raised position because the force ofthe opening spring remains operative until the elongated main slidestrikes against the roof crown. An arresting spring for maintaining themain slide in its raised position is no longer necessary on the umbrellastick because the surplus spring force of the opening spring maintainsthe umbrella roof in open position. The main struts of the umbrella roofare brought into an angle position of slightly less than 90 relativelyto the lower portion of the umbrella stick axis when the umbrella is inits open position, with the result that unintentional closing of theumbrella roof under wind pressure is avoided.

The auxiliary struts hinged to the bell-shaped auxiliary slide are keptvery short as compared with the known In these known forms of con formsof construction and thus facilitate the closing of the umbrella and, inaddition, enable the elongated main slide to be moved as little aspossible out of the bellshaped auxiliary slide during the closing of theumbrella and to be made only of suflicient length to catch the stickspring near the handle end of the umbrella stick and thereby lock theumbrella in closed condition. This is particularly advantageous in thecase of collapsible umbrellas in order to produce a short lengthumbrella in closed telescoped state. When the umbrella roof is raised,the lower end of the elongated main slide facing the umbrella handledisappears entirely in the bell-shaped auxiliary slide. The other end ofthe elongated main slide strikes against the crown or a rubber ringarranged in front of the crown to cushion the blow. The main slide is atits upper edge beaded over so as to prevent damage to the rubber ring. 1

Several preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way ofexample in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows the upper part of a self-opening noncollapsible umbrella inopen position, partly in sectional view, only a few struts and roof ribsbeing illustrated;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the upper part of a collapsible pocketumbrella, and

Fig. 3 shows the slide arrangement of the umbrella illustrated in Fig.2, in closed position.

The umbrella illustrated in Fig. 1 comprises a stick 5 and roof ribs 6which are articulated with the aid of a crown 7 mounted near the upperend of the stick 5 A sleeve-shaped main slide 8 is shiftable on thestick 5 and carries, hinged in pairs of radial slots of a ring member 10located below its upper edge formed by a bead 9, the bifurcated ends ofmain struts 11 which act on the roof ribs 6 through the intermediary ofjoints 1 2. A bell-shaped auxiliary slide 14 is slidable over thesleeveshaped main slide 8 and guides, in the region of its upper edge,articulated auxiliary struts 15 which are connected to the struts 11 byjoints 16. The joints 16 are located about in the region of the firstthird of the length of the main struts 11 towards the stick. Between abottom internal flange 17 of the bell-shaped auxiliary slide 14 and thering member 10 of the main slide 8 a spring member 18 serv ing foropening the umbrella and preferably composed of two oppositely woundcompression springs is accommodated and pretensioned. The main slide 8is of such length that, when in open position, which is determined byits upper edge 9 bearing against an elastic rubber ring 19 engaging thecrown 7, a lower edge 20 of the slide 8 isvlocated within thebell-shaped auxiliary slide 14. The auxiliary slide 14 serves asmanipulating device for shifting the slide arrangement for folding orclosing the umbrella, the slide being provided with a knurled annularbead 21 for this purpose. During the return movement of the slidearrangement, the main slide 8 travels a greater distance than theauxiliary slide 14, so that, in the last portion of the movement, thelower part of the main slide 8 can protrude from the auxiliary slide 14and co-operate with a catch, not shown in the drawing, mounted on thestick for locking the umbrella in closed position.

The slide arrangement illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 in connection with apocket umbrella is similar to that shown in Fig. 1. In this type ofumbrella the crown 7 on the upper end of the stick 5 carries a pluralityof roof ribs 22 hingedly connected thereto and each having an innerportion 23. The main struts 11 are each hingedly con nected to a slide24 slidably guided on the portion 23 of its respective rib, which sleevestraddles the ends of a rivet or pin serving as pivot between strut 11and slide 24. In the case of such collapsible or telescopable umbrellasthe slide arrangement according to the invention is particularlyadvantageous because, as compared with the known constructions, itenables the umbrella in collapsed condition to be shorter in length,which is due to the fact that in open position the rearward end of themain slide 8 enters the bell-shaped auxiliary slide 14.

Fig. 3 shows the umbrella in closed state. It will be seen that thespring member 18 is tensioned and the rearward end 20 of the main slide8 projects so far out of the auxiliary slide 14 that it can be engagedby a catch 25 on the stick 5 which locks the umbrella in folded orclosed position. The stick 5 of the umbrella illustrated in Figs. 2 and3 is composed in known manner of sections which are telescoping onewithin the other for the purpose of shortening or collapsing.

From Figs. 1 and 2 it can be seen that the main struts 11, when theumbrella is open, stand at an angle of less than 90 relatively to theaxis of the handle end of the stick '5. Thus, independently of thepre-tension of the springs 18, the umbrella is automatically locked in areliable manner when in open position.

The forms of construction illustrated are, as has already beenmentioned, only examples of possible applications of the invention whichis not restricted thereto. Many other forms of construction can beenvisaged. Thus, for example, the length of the main slide 8 can beshortened to such an extent that it does not project beyond thebellshaped auxiliary slide 14 on the handle side even when the umbrellais in closed or folded position. For locking the umbrella in foldedposition a catch may be provided to which a suitable releasing device iscoordinated. The shape of the parts forming the slide arrangement can bemodified in many ways from the construction illustrated:

I claim:

1. An umbrella comprising, in combination, an umbrella stick having anupper end portion; a plurality of ribs, each hinged at one end to saidupper end portion of said umbrella stick; abutment means on saidumbrella stick at the upper end portion thereof; a tubular inner mainslide shiftable on said stick; a plurality of main struts each hinged atone end to said main slide and at the other end to one of said ribs; aplurality of auxiliary struts, each of said struts hinged at one end toone of said main struts; a tubular outer auxiliary slide coaxiallyshiftable relative to said main slide and hingedly attached at its upperend to the other ends of said auxiliary struts, said tubular auxiliaryslide having such a length that in open umbrella position the lower endof said main slide is located within said auxiliary slide and in closedumbrella position the lower end portion of said main slide projectsdownwardly beyond said auxiliary slide; releasable locking means on saidumbrella stick adapted to engage said lower end portion of said mainslide in closed umbrella position so as to releasably hold it in suchposition; and compression spring means surrounding said main slide andextending into said auxiliary slide confined between the hinged ends ofsaid main struts and the lower end of said auxiliary slide, said springmeans being in compressed condition when the slides are in their closedumbrella position and being in an expanded condition when the slides arein their open umbrella position, the arrangement being such that thespring means when expanded will urge the hinged ends of the main Strutsat least into dead center position with respect to each other forthereby locking the umbrella in its open position.

2. An umbrella comprising, in combination, an umbrella stick having anupper end portion; a plurality of ribs, each hinged at one end to saidupper end portion of said umbrella stick; abutment means on saidumbrella stick at the upper end portion thereof; a tubular inner mainslide shiftable on said stick; a plurality of main struts each hinged atone end to said main slide and at the other end to one of said ribs; aplurality of auxiliary struts, each of said struts hinged at one end toone of said main struts; a tubular outer auxiliary slide coaxiallyshiftable relative to said main slide and hingedly attached at its upperend to the other ends of said auxiliary struts, said tubular auxiliaryslide having such a length that in open umbrella position the lower endof said main slide is located within said auxiliary slide spaced adistance from the lower end of the auxiliary slide and in closedumbrella position the lower end portion of said main slide projects asubstantially similar distance downwardly beyond said auxiliary slide;releasable locking means on said umbrella stick adapted to engage saidlower end portion of said main slide in closed umbrella position so asto releasably hold it in such position; and compression spring meanssurrounding said main slide and extending into said auxiliary slideconfined between the hinged ends of said'main struts and the lower endof said auxiliary slide, said spring means being in compressed conditionwhen the slides are in their closed umbrella position and being in anexpanded condition when the slides are in their open umbrella position,the arrangement being such that the spring means when expanded will urgethe hinged ends of the main struts at least into dead center positionwith respect to each other for thereby locking the urnbrella in its openposition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

